Why, God, Why?
by racle
Summary: An angel from Heaven shows Jesse the horrors that might have resulted if he hadn't gone with Miss Edmunds that day and had saved Leslie instead. Explores both Leslie-Doesn't-Die and Leslie-Is-Dead scenarios, with a twist - a one-of-a-kind unique "in-between"/"what-if" story among Terabithia fanfictions! UPDATED 6/17/13
1. Scenario Selection:Can Jesse Save Leslie

_UPDATED/REVISED 4/21/13 – Story re-organized to reflect new content: This story has TWO potential endings (afterlifes) and at least four possible plot branches (mortal world) to reach either of the two endings - if anyone wants to adopt one of the plots and flesh out the story, let me know!_

_Chapter 1 is common to both endings. After Chapter 1, even- and odd-numbered chapters will follow different endings!_

* * *

As his life comes to a close, world-renowned artist and illustrator Jesse Oliver Aarons, Jr. has only one lifetime regret.

Jesse has lived a long and fruitful life, or so it seems. Unlike most, he has been able to make a career out of his greatest passion. His pictures are found everywhere, from art galleries and museums, to theatrical film posters, video game box covers, and (of course!) children's books and school textbooks. Jesse, dying of cancer at age 67, will live a decade less than his average countryman, but he does not mind, for he has done all he needs to in this life. Though a lifelong bachelor, Jesse is not alone on his deathbed; he was a beloved uncle to his younger sister's children and all of them are present, as are his sister, brother-in-law and the very small count of his friends.

A few weeks before, after learning his condition was terminal, Jesse was persuaded to grant one final interview to a reporter from the _New York Times_, which would be preparing his obituary soon. Among many other questions, the reporter happened to ask: "Do you have any regrets?" And Jesse's answer remained as it has been his entire life. "I wish I'd invited Leslie on that trip all those years ago."

Jesse has, in his rare past interviews and media appearances, refused to elaborate on that answer. But on that day, given his final chance to share his story with the world, Jesse decides to share. The reporter is thoroughly moved by Jesse's story, as is everyone else present. The reporter remembers how, when he was in elementary school, some of his textbooks had Jesse's illustrations in them. His physics and math books, in particular, seemed to constantly feature a colorfully dressed blonde girl with blue eyes, explaining this or that concept in bubble-text, and the reporter is in awe as he learns just who this girl is.

Even after so many years, Jesse still feels responsible for the death of his friend and likely soul mate, but he is wrong. And the world will never know just how wrong he is, for Jesse himself will only become aware of it after he has already died.

About one month after that final interview, Jesse dreams his last dream – an angel, wearing a flaming sword and a cross, appears in front of him and motions him to follow. Jesse understands it is time and follows the angel, leaving behind his body in the hospital room. To his surprise, the angel speaks, in a teasing voice.

"So, you wish you'd invited her on that trip, huh?" asks the angel, holding up a copy of the _New York Times_ issue from the previous month, showing Jesse the printed article containing his final interview. Because it's a dream, Jesse fails to recognize the absurdity of an angel reading the newspaper and asking him questions about his own interview from a month ago. Jesse answers the angel seriously, in the affirmative, then asks when he can see Leslie again.

The angel, walking beside Jesse, floors him with her next question. "Jesse Aarons... how would you like another chance?"

Jesse turns to look at his escort in shock, not daring to believe his ears. It's exactly what he has wanted for the vast majority of his existence – ever since that one terrible Saturday in fifth grade. The angel smiles reassuringly at Jesse. "You're being offered a chance to go back and live that Saturday one more time," the angel says. "You heard right."

Jesse is ecstatic. "Now?" he asks. "Whenever you're ready," the angel responds.

In a flash, he finds the angel and the rest of his dream has vanished – he is eleven years old again, in his room, and six-year-old May Belle is handing him the phone. Jesse picks up, knowing exactly what's going to happen and how to act… and exactly what he plans to do differently.

As they pass Leslie's house, Miss Edmunds asks if Jesse has forgotten anything. Avoiding his "mistake" from the first time around, he asks to bring Leslie, and his teacher does not object. Jesse excitedly runs up to the Burkes' house, where the Burkes are almost done with breakfast. Jesse apologizes to Mr. Burke for interrupting and then gives his invitation, which Leslie happily accepts, shoving her final bite of toast into her mouth and promptly following Jesse back to Miss Edmunds' car. The entire sequence results in Miss Edmunds waiting for about five minutes in front of the house instead of departing immediately for Washington. As they drive through town on their way to the freeway, they are T-boned from the driver's side by a drunk driver running a red light – in the original reality, Miss Edmunds departed five minutes earlier because Jesse didn't stop to invite Leslie, thereby avoiding being hit by the other car. Jesse, in the front passenger seat, is the lone survivor, and his survivor's guilt is worsened: he has not only caused Leslie's death, but also Miss Edmunds' as well, by both accepting her invitation and then inviting Leslie to join them.

Jesse re-appears before the angel, sputtering. "How- What – It didn't work – How is this possible? I invited her… oh my God, I killed Miss Edmunds… please, angel, send me back, let me put things back to how they were – I didn't mean to!..."

"Jesse," the angel says in a calming voice, "you are a noble man. Do not fear, all has been undone even as you speak. But perhaps you can now see that changing destiny is not quite so straightforward as you believed throughout your life."

Jesse idly wonders if he had sat in the back instead, before reflecting that he has no right to sacrifice Miss Edmunds to save his friend. But the angel picks up on his thoughts. "You have questioned God in your life before, and because you have been good and faithful despite your human doubts, we shall answer your curiosity. Let me show you."

Jesse immediately finds himself watching a scene play out before him. He is in his room, watching his younger self take the phone from May Belle to speak to Miss Edmunds. This time, Jesse and the angel are invisible observers, unable to touch or influence anything. Jesse watches, having no other choice, as his eleven-year-old self repeats the scenario he just re-lived earlier: getting into Miss Edmunds' car, stopping to pick up Leslie – except this time, the younger Jesse insists Leslie should take the front passenger seat, and then himself sits in the back, behind her, on the other side from where the older Jesse knows the car is about to be hit. The accident occurs exactly as before, and boy Jesse escapes the immediate death inflicted on Miss Edmunds in the driver's seat – but it is for naught, as the vision continues to show the young Jesse dying of his injuries later that day in the hospital. The vision now hones in on Leslie, who is now the lone survivor distraught at her friend's death. The following day, she attempts to find her solace in Terabithia, thereby dying the same way as in the original reality. The older Jesse finds himself perversely compelled to watch, even as he simultaneously feels an urge to look away, as the scene of his friend's death plays out. When it is complete, everything fades again to all white, the angel and Jesse standing in the same void they were in before.

"But what if I hadn't gone with Miss Edmunds at all?"

No sooner has the question left Jesse's mouth does the scene again return to that Saturday morning, and Jesse again watches the image of his younger self taking Miss Edmunds' phone call. This time, Jesse watches as his eleven-year-old self, having been imbued by divine intervention with that sense of foreboding Jesse wishes he had had in his own reality, declines Miss Edmunds' invitation in order to watch over Leslie that day. Eleven-year-old Jesse tries unsuccessfully to dissuade his friend from taking the rope; it breaks, and she falls on her head. But this time, Jesse's presence makes the difference. He scrambles down to the creek and fishes Leslie out, forgetting his earlier fear of the water; he finds her unconscious and bleeding from her head, and runs for help. Five minutes later, Jesse is watching in near panic as the paramedics load his friend into the ambulance. Jesse's father calls him to get into the truck and they follow the ambulance and Leslie's parents to the hospital. Within the half-hour, Leslie has been rushed into surgery and her parents, along with Jesse and his parents, are left to wait for news.

The news comes five hours later. Leslie suffered a severe traumatic brain injury and would have died had she been brought into the hospital even 30 minutes later. Fortunately, help had been summoned immediately and the surgeons have succeeded in stabilizing her for the present. The doctors are unable to predict if or when she will awaken. But the surgeon delivering the news, upon seeing Jesse's crestfallen expression, reassures Jesse that he is a hero; his quick action saved Leslie's life this morning. All that can be done now is to watch, wait, and hope.

Using a fallen tree, Jesse in this reality builds the same bridge he did in the original reality, so that he can go into Terabithia to seek guidance from the spirits. May Belle, after overcoming his initial protests, accompanies him.

But a month goes by with no change, and the doctors become increasingly pessimistic, much to young Jesse's despair. The doctors inform the Burkes, and Jesse, that after such a length of time, the probability of Leslie's recovery is very low, her hospital bill is already in the thousands of dollars and continued life support is likely to make no difference at great expense. But it is up to her parents how long they are willing to hold out for a miracle, and at what cost.

Fortunately – or unfortunately, as the case may be – money is not an issue for the Burkes, who as successful authors have more than enough to retire on. They, therefore, will pay for all possible care for their daughter; even the smallest chance of having Leslie back is worth any price – a statement with which both Jesses agree, the younger Jesse participating in the scene and the older Jesse watching in the background. The Burkes had struggled with infertility for years before their daughter came. Leslie was already a living miracle, even before the accident, and the Burkes feel compelled to hope for just one more.

Their decision has unintended consequences for their daughter's best friend. Young Jesse is now haunted by the alive-yet-not-living shell of his one true friend; deprived of her presence and yet unable to grieve or move on. Jesse and May Belle continue to visit Leslie and Terabithia almost every week. The Terabithians are divided over the fate of their queen, and cannot agree on what counsels, if any, they can offer to their grief-stricken king.

This situation continues for the following several years. Jesse gradually picks up the normal activities of a high school student, at the insistence of his family as well as the Burkes, who consider him a surrogate son. Even though they are holding on to the slimmest of hopes, the Burkes are also realistic enough to accept and plan for the most likely scenario. But the years nevertheless take their toll on everyone involved.

One day, a thin blonde-haired blue-eyed girl from Minnesota transfers into Jesse's tenth grade class. Most of Lark Creek's children, now teenagers, have long since forgotten the _other_ transfer student who was with them for less than a year. Only Scott Hoager knows why the sight of the new student makes Jesse crumple into his desk sobbing uncontrollably. But the former bully has grown up, and remains respectfully silent towards his rival on the cross-country team.

Two years later, Jesse receives a phone call. It's Bill Burke next door. The hospital has just called the Burkes to inform them that Leslie is awake! But Jesse's hope is promptly dashed by Mr. Burke's next sentence, as he repeats what the hospital told him: Leslie is awake in only the most technical sense, she remains unaware of her surroundings. She is in a "persistent vegetative state," and her continued further recovery remains almost as unlikely as it was before.

Jesse rushes to see Leslie in her hospital bed, accompanied by the Burkes, but he soon wishes he hadn't. Leslie's eyes are open, but she is staring off into the distance, and she makes no move to acknowledge Jesse. She does not recognize him, and is totally unresponsive when Jesse calls her name. When he looks into her eyes, he senses they are empty. Jesse realizes that her spirit is truly gone. Leslie is no longer here, even though her physical body is deceptively intact. Jesse breaks down in tears as the years of hope, now crushed into splinters, rain down upon him. Leslie is truly dead. He truly failed to save her life ten years ago when she fell into the creek. It was all a cruel illusion, that he could have saved her, and now after toying with him for several years, Fate has finally put her foot down.

Fifteen years later, the hospital finally closes her medical file, when Leslie – or what's left of her – dies from antibiotic-resistant pneumonia.

"NO!" Jesse, our Jesse, refuses to accept the vision presented to him. In desperation, he brings up one final idea, in his attempt to change fate. He offers his own life in place of his friend's.

The scene rewinds once more to the fateful Saturday morning. Miss Edmunds calls to invite Jesse to go to Washington. Young Jesse, under divine inspiration, declines and heads out to Terabithia with Leslie. But this time, swallowing his fears and apprehensions about the high creek water, Jesse takes the rope first – the rope breaks mid-swing, and Jesse takes the fall and the head injury.

This time it's Leslie who dives into the water after her friend and then runs screaming for help. The paramedics arrive and Jesse is rushed to the hospital with both sets of parents in tow – plus May Belle and Leslie. But Jesse is heavier and differently shaped than Leslie was, and he hit the rocks differently in this reality than she did in the original one. Five hours later, the surgeon emerges with bad news – Jesse has died on the operating table despite their best efforts. Jesse's sacrifice is complete – he has traded his life for Leslie's.

Leslie realizes, from the doctor's expression, what he is about to say, before he has even started talking. Now she blames herself for not listening to Jesse's expressed misgivings about the ancient rope. Ironically, even Leslie does not realize how correct she is in her belief that she should be the one dead, not her friend. Her first true friend in this lifetime, to whom she never had the chance to say "I love you."

But the tragedy of the day is not yet over. When the doctor finally pronounces the terrible words, May Belle becomes disconsolate and runs out of the waiting room, sobbing uncontrollably. Leslie and Mr. Aarons both jump up to pursue the hysterical child. May Belle runs shrieking out the main entrance of the hospital only to – in slow motion – trip and fall on the pavement right in front of a speeding vehicle. Leslie, her heroic instinct triggered, is not even thinking about the emotional loss she just suffered 30 seconds ago; she's acting entirely on adrenaline as she dashes forward and grabs the younger girl, throwing her out of harm's way.

Mrs. Aarons and the Burkes arrive shortly after. May Belle is curled up in a ball crying, right next to the car that almost killed her, and Mr. Aarons hastens to retrieve her. But the other three adults are staring, in horror, at the nurses and hospital staff who have rushed outside to cluster around the eleven-year-old heroine of the day. The Burkes look back to Mrs. Aarons, who is shortly joined by Mr. Aarons, and then back to their daughter, and then all four parents make eye contact and a horrifying understanding flashes among them. Leslie is pronounced dead at the scene, but her parents knew even before the medics did.

In the original reality, it was Jesse alone who blamed himself for the tragedy, though its impact was felt by others. But in this alternate reality, there is double the tragedy (or perhaps even more) and far more guilt to go around. May Belle knows that she is a murderer and is now certainly going to Hell, and no one will ever convince her otherwise. Mr. Aarons curses his slower reflexes, feeling that he should have died for his daughter, not the girl next door; his family now owes the Burkes an unrepayable debt of blood. Mrs. Aarons wishes she had argued more strongly to keep May Belle from coming with them to the hospital. Mrs. Burke silently wonders if this is God's revenge for her turning away from the faith in which she was raised as a child. Mr. Burke is simply crushed, their neighbor's son just died in his daughter's place and it _still_ wasn't enough to save his daughter in the end. As the news spreads in the following days, even Miss Julia Edmunds wonders what might have happened – whether she might have prevented the entire tragedy, if only she had convinced young Jesse Aarons to join her at the museum that day.

"So you see," the angel says soothingly, "none of this was your fault, Jesse."

Brought back to the present, in the void with the angel, Jesse breaks down, laughing in bitter irony. He knows exactly what would have happened in Miss Edmunds' speculation, because in his actual life that did happen. But now his fifty-six years of regret are gone – a weight off his shoulders, even one that he had become accustomed to carrying. Jesse is at last convinced that Leslie's death was not his fault – it was God's will.

Suddenly, Jesse realizes the full implications of this thought, and rage boils up within him – all this time he was blaming the wrong person! Now he is angry, not with himself, but with the angel and the Heavenly Father she serves. Before he even realizes it, he is screaming at his angel:

"Why? Why did you kill her?"

* * *

_CHOOSE YOUR ENDING:_

EVEN numbered chapters - If you believe Leslie went to Heaven (because God doesn't send innocent little girls to Hell)  
ODD numbered chapters - If you believe Leslie went to Hell (because only Christians get to go to Heaven)

* * *

_Author's note: If anyone wants to expand upon my ideas and write a complete, more-elaborate story involving any of the scenarios outlined above, please let me know! I would be happy to see any such work done. Also, I'd love to see anyone continue the story for me and write about Jesse and Leslie's afterlife in heaven together! I don't know enough about different denominations' views of "how heaven works" to really do that myself. I don't know what else there is to do in heaven than serving in the Angel Corps, visiting friends/family or watching people on Earth... but even that's plenty for a story, I think. I imagine either Jesse signs up to be an angel or Leslie resigns from the service to be with him, but I could be wrong :)  
__  
I've never read the book, but I have done my best to make this story fit either the book or the movie. I've drawn a great deal of inspiration from both the LDD and LID fanfics on this site - but I did notice that in the existing works, Leslie either dies or makes a full recovery with no lasting damage. In real life, there is a wide range of permanent disability outcomes, and I've only dealt with the most frightening of those outcomes in this story. I don't personally have the expertise to write an LDD story featuring a wheelchair-bound or para/quadriplegic Leslie, but I suspect such a story would be very inspirational. If anyone wants to try it out, please let me know how it turns out._

_Thanks for reading! Reviews are always appreciated :)_


	2. Jack Aarons Was Right (1)

**_Possible Ending #1: Jack Aarons Was Right_**

**From Chapter 1...** (everything where Jesse goes through the scenarios is the same)

_"So you see," the angel says soothingly, "none of this was your fault, Jesse."_

_Brought back to the present, in the void with the angel, Jesse breaks down, laughing in bitter irony. He knows exactly what would have happened in Miss Edmunds' speculation, because in his actual life that did happen. But now his fifty-six years of regret are gone – a weight off his shoulders, even one that he had become accustomed to carrying. Jesse is at last convinced that Leslie's death was not his fault – it was God's will._

_Suddenly, Jesse realizes the full implications of this thought, and rage boils up within him – all this time he was blaming the wrong person! Now he is angry, not with himself, but with the angel and the Heavenly Father she serves. How could God have killed this innocent girl who was the only light in his life? Before he even realizes it, he is screaming at his angel:_

_"Why? Why did you kill her?"_

* * *

"She was an angel, Jesse," his escort replies, "by random chance, some souls are so fortunate as to be placed in circumstances and given personalities which greatly reduce their susceptibility to the Original Sin. Your friend was one of these souls. Even though she was not raised with faith, her heart was so pure, her spirit so light that after watching her first twelve years, we felt it most prudent to bring her here, and make her one of us, rather than risk the possible future contamination of her soul which might have occurred by her continued existence on the sinful Earth. You may remember, for example, her reaction – or lack thereof – to multiple provocations from your mutual friend Janice Avery. She was a perfect paragon – she never once attempted to retaliate by any means – until you, her only friend, became involved due to your sister's loss of a package of Twinkies. This is merely one example; had she lived an entire lifetime with you it is likely she would have naturally accumulated a greater burden of sins. We in Heaven never wish to see the tragedy of one such as her falling from angelic to ordinary – or worse – and unfortunately, we have only one way to guard against it. Furthermore, even though your friend was at low risk of damnation regardless, we had to consider those around her, who were at higher risk. She was one of those rare souls who needed no church to be saved. Yet, had she remained among mortals, she might have inadvertently, by her good example, misled others more in need of guidance into believing that they, too, no longer needed their faith. Those souls would have been far more vulnerable to the Devil's corruption."

Had Jesse heard these same words from any mortal priest, he would have felt only indignation and outrage. But hearing it from the angel has a strangely different effect; Jesse feels God's infinite compassion radiating from the angel before him, by a mechanism unheard of among humans, softening the blow of the message. The comforting feeling washes over him, draining his accumulated frustration and grief away, and Jesse at last understands why his mortal suffering was necessary.

"We are truly sorry that this was necessary, for we all knew the effect it would have on you. That rope should have broken on your final swing back across the creek, Jesse. When our Father ordered us to keep the rope from breaking at its appointed time, just so that it would be your friend instead of you on the rope the next day, we all cried. There was a bond between you, we could all see that either of you would have given your life for the other. We knew you would probably never complete the sacrament of marriage because of this. But it had to be so."

Jesse can only nod, and the angel smiles in understanding. Before he can ask his next question, the angel answers it.

"Leslie will be with us shortly," the angel says, and Jesse's heart soars. "Because she belonged to no specific religion, we had to provide an individualized final judgment for her. As there was very little to punish her for, our Father prescribed no additional pain or suffering but instead brought her into our service as an angel. Her assignment was to convert, or otherwise lead to salvation, all the members of your family as well as her parents, and she has done an exemplary job of it. At the moment she is out helping your youngest nephew pick a church to join, which should take a few more months, but time has no meaning in Heaven, which really means she'll be home any minute now. Let me drop you off at her treehouse, so you can surprise her when she gets back…"

A few minutes later, the angel drops Jesse off in front of a treehouse which looks exactly like the old Terabithian treehouse. For some reason, Jesse finds it hilarious that an actual angel of Heaven lives in a treehouse, even if it's Leslie (and of course, she _would_ do something like that, too!).

"Thank you, angel," says Jesse. "Do you have a name?"

Jesse's angel escort pushes back the hood of her cloak, revealing the face of… Jesse's old English teacher, Mrs. Myers.

Jesse stares in shock.

"Congratulations, Jesse," says Mrs. Myers, "I knew you would make it through." She does not specify what she means, but it does not matter. Jesse's long trials have, at last, come to an end.

Shortly after Mrs. Myers takes her leave, Leslie drops down onto the balcony of the treehouse, landing on two feet. Whistling to herself, she folds up her wings behind her and enters her home as usual – then stops short. For one beautiful instant, Leslie stands frozen in her doorway, a positively rapturous expression on her face.

The long wait is over – for both of them.

On Earth, astronomers across the world record the appearance of a spectacular supernova, nearly the size of the Moon, so bright that it blinds their telescopes to all other stars in the night sky. There is no night on Earth for the following several days.

* * *

_Heartwarming? Yes. But is God really so merciful? Not if you ask many of the Americans who have objected to Bridge to Terabithia's availability in school libraries. If you don't like this ending, maybe the alternative (next chapter) speaks more truth to you..._


	3. Jack Aarons Was Wrong (1)

_Author's Note: This alternate version of the ending to Chapter 1 is inspired by some of the many religiously-based challenges against Bridge to Terabithia at libraries across the US (specifically, the ones arguing that Paterson's story somehow undermines/attacks Christianity). I've taken that interpretation here, and followed a mix of the movie script and the book dialogue, making my best attempt to reconcile the differences in the way I think sounds the most natural._

* * *

**_Possible Ending #2: Jack Aarons Was Wrong_**

**From Chapter 1...** (everything where Jesse goes through the scenarios is the same)

_"So you see," the angel says soothingly, "none of this was your fault, Jesse."_

_Brought back to the present, in the void with the angel, Jesse breaks down, laughing in bitter irony. He knows exactly what would have happened in Miss Edmunds' speculation, because in his actual life that did happen. But now his fifty-six years of regret are gone – a weight off his shoulders, even one that he had become accustomed to carrying. Jesse is at last convinced that Leslie's death was not his fault – it was God's will._

_Suddenly, Jesse realizes the full implications of this thought, and rage boils up within him – all this time he was blaming the wrong person! Now he is angry, not with himself, but with the angel and the Heavenly Father she serves. How could God have killed this innocent girl who was the only light in his life? Before he even realizes it, he is screaming at his angel:_

_"Why? Why did you kill her?"_

* * *

"Jesse," says the angel, radiating sympathy from her voice, "We are sorry, but this will be a difficult thing for you to hear. Nonetheless, you shall hear it, but you must promise not to interrupt."

Jesse collects himself, slightly sheepish after his outburst in front of the angel, and nods once in agreement.

"Jesse, you may remember this incident," as the angel speaks, a scene plays out before them. Indeed, Jesse remembers it…

_Eleven-year-old Jesse is seated in the bed of his father's truck with Leslie, May Belle, and Joyce Ann, as they return from Easter church services._

_"You gotta believe the Bible, Leslie."_ Young May Belle's voice triggers older Jesse's memory, and as he recalls exactly how that conversation went, Jesse feels a small amount of apprehension beginning to appear in his chest.

_"Why?"_

_"Cause if you don't believe the Bible, God'll damn you to hell when you die!"_

_"Wow, May Belle. Where'd you hear that?"_

_May Belle turns to young Jesse for confirmation. _The older Jesse remembers, with mixed emotions, one of his last happy memories of Leslie during her too-short life… he knows exactly what's coming.

_"That's right, ain't it, Jess? God damns you to hell if you don't believe in the Bible?" May Belle asks Jesse._

_"I think so…" says Jesse, not completely certain – he has never really thought about Hell before, having tried to be good (and presumably not bound for Hell) all his life._

_"Well, I don't think so," Leslie says. "I seriously do not think God goes around damning people to Hell. He's too busy running all this!" She gestures to the beautiful countryside around them, trees and flowers in full bloom, newly planted farm fields rippling in waves under the wind._ Older Jesse realizes, with a sickening feeling, that Leslie forgot to account for God's myriad of helpers… the angels – including the one who came for him, who is taking the time to help him make sense of Leslie's death.

The scene fades out, replaced by a new scene. Again, older Jesse is an observer, the angel at his side.

_In front of them, young Leslie stands, with her back to them, facing a towering throne from which an ethereal light glows, making it impossible to see who, if anyone, is sitting in it. It is as if the ball of light is the very thing occupying the chair. The light seems to provide warmth also, as Leslie is wearing absolutely nothing but shows no sign of cold or discomfort. A solid circle of winged angels, standing shoulder to shoulder, surrounds them._

_"Leslie Burke," booms a voice from the throne above, "You told two impressionable children that I am too _busy_ running my creation to punish the sins of those within it. Did you ever think that an OMNIPOTENT GOD might not have the limited attention span that you do?"_

The apprehension that has been building within the older Jesse blossoms into full-fledged fear, as he senses where this is headed. But eleven-year-old Leslie, even when deceased and facing her final judgment, is as fearless and articulate as ever.

_"Heavenly Father," Leslie says to her creator, "I am flattered that You find me worthy of Your individual attention among all the billions of more interesting people out there. I'm sorry, I really didn't know much of anything about You until now, so I'm sorry I said that about You. Thank You for taking this time to correct my incorrect image of You. I'll go tell Jess and May Belle I was wrong about You, if You want me to?"_

_In the space between Leslie and the throne of God, another scene plays, mostly for Leslie's benefit but also visible to our older Jesse and his escorting angel. Leslie watches as God replays more of her quotes from just a few days ago, before her death._

_"That whole Jesus thing is really interesting, isn't it?"_

_"You have to believe it, but you hate it. I don't have to believe it, and I think it's beautiful."_

_Then May Belle's anxious concern for her older friend. "But Leslie, what if you die? What's going to happen to you if you die?"_

_The scene now switches to show eleven-year-old Jesse, crying on his father's lap by the creek in Terabithia. Leslie chokes back a sob as she sees her friend's devastation at her death. It is the first strong emotion she has shown in her entire trial, the first crack in her "queen-of-Terabithia" demeanor. Among the surrounding circle of angels, many have bowed their heads in sympathy. The scene before them continues, as Jack Aarons comforts his son._

_"I don't know everything about God," says Jack Aarons, "but I do know He's not going to send that little girl to Hell." The scene freezes as if paused by a remote control, then vanishes, once again leaving nothing between Leslie and her creator on His throne._

_"Leslie Burke," booms the Heavenly Father's voice, "Do you now see what you have done? Why you had to die that morning?"_

_Leslie sniffles, but it is clear she is still crying for Jesse, not for herself. She swallows once, looking down, trying to compose herself to speak. "Please enlighten me, Heavenly Father."_

_"You came to one of My places of worship for the first time last Sunday," the voice of God again echoes everywhere, "and you were planning to return the next Sunday, and regularly thereafter, with the consideration of joining the congregation. Yet faith, by its very nature, requires that the believer not know all the answers. I saw you read My Bible in your bed on several nights following that Sunday, questions swirling in your head. I foresaw that you were ultimately going to decide against joining My church, but during your months in their midst, you were going to induce doubts and undermine the faith of many others in the Lark Creek church by your blasphemous ideas and questions. Even in the past week you have already led two members of My flock astray, and now My angels will have to spend years of additional effort to bring Jesse and May Belle Aarons back to the fold. In order to save all the other souls of Lark Creek, I could not allow you to remain among them, and poison them with your doubts."_

_"Leslie Burke," the voice booms, "If it were only your own salvation at stake, I might have permitted you to live a natural length of time. But you were a threat to My order – charming, yet disruptively unladylike and open to heretical and unorthodox ideas, a perfect temptation for others by your example. You would never have accepted Christ as your sole savior, and there is no other path to salvation. I know you saw that sentence in My Word which told you so. Had you remained among mortals, you would have undone the fabric of that Christian society, and dragged even more people into damnation after you. As much as it pains all of us, Leslie Burke, I cannot accept your sin-stained soul into My kingdom; Hell shall be your final residence."_

"NO!" Jesse tries to reach out towards the vision, as if he can grab Leslie out of the vision and somehow prevent her descent into Hell – even though he knows it is useless, for he is merely being shown what has already happened. But he finds himself paralyzed, mysteriously unable to move. Then Leslie's young voice speaks again in the recorded scene before him, and Jesse is shocked, as are all the angels in the vision.

_"Heavenly Father," Leslie says indignantly in her best "queen-like" voice, "You made me this way. You put me into a family of skeptics and freethinkers. What exactly did you expect? Come on, you're omnipotent, you knew this would happen. If You really wanted me to believe one thing or another, You could have changed my path anytime in the last eleven years. You could have appeared to me as Jesus Christ and outright saved me. If You want me to go to Hell, fine, but how is that any of my fault? You're the only one who could've done anything about it!"_

Though the Leslie in the vision is facing away from Jesse, he knows – and well remembers – the magnificent fire in her eyes, that must surely be flashing in the Lord's "face" as she speaks. His fear for her fate is temporarily muted by a sense of awe. This girl just doesn't know how to be afraid!

_A loud, sad sigh emanates from the infinite light above. "Goodbye, Leslie Burke." A hole suddenly appears in the clouds right under Leslie's feet, and she gives a startled cry as she falls through. Before the hole closes up again, Leslie's final words echo through:_

_"It was an honor to meet you, God! Thank you for all the good things!"_

The vision of Leslie's final judgment disappears, leaving Jesse and his escorting angel again in the white void. Jesse turns to the angel with a look of outrage on his face. The angel radiates understanding and compassion in return. "I'm sorry, Jesse," the angel says, "I know this is hard for you."

Despite his anger and sorrow, Jesse recognizes the truth of God's words to Leslie. He did indeed question his faith for many years following her death, and he can see how it is exceedingly unlikely that he could have persuaded her to convert; more likely, she would have pulled him away from religion by the influence of her questioning tendencies, since he had always looked up to her intellectually. Yet this knowledge does not temper Jesse's bitter disappointment. For decades, he has been looking forward to seeing Leslie again in Heaven. Now he knows that will never happen.

"Come, Jesse," intones the angel, "your paradise awaits." Jesse is about to ask what happened to _his_ final judgment, but the angel again senses and answers his question. "You followed the rules, Jesse. You accepted the redemption of Jesus Christ and He has taken your deserved punishment in your place, as promised."

As the angel bears Jesse up to Heaven, he feels little if any of the infinite reward he is supposedly receiving.

The angel leaves Jesse in the ecstatic embrace of his parents and (who would've thought?) his older sister Brenda, who are all overjoyed to see him again. Ellie, unsurprisingly, is not present for their little reunion; none of the Aarons family had ever heard from her again after she turned 18 and went off to Hollywood. Somehow, though, Brenda did not follow her oldest sister's footsteps; Jesse recalls with a bit of amusement his skepticism from 30 years prior when he learned of Brenda's Christian "rebirth" by a letter from his parents. But to everyone's surprise, Brenda's many misadventures had changed her, and she proved to be a sincere convert.

Once the first flush has worn off, Jesse notices his parents look different. They are still recognizably Jack and Mary Aarons, but they are years younger – Jesse last saw them like this when he was just a few years old. Brenda, Jesse notes with a smile, looks like the spoiled 20-year-old of his teenaged memories, even though she is actually a far better and wiser person now. For the first time, Jesse looks down at himself to see that he, too, is young and fit again, no longer the wrinkled and dying 67-year-old he last remembers being. It is the magic of Heaven at work – rendering every person in their best and most idealized physical form.

Jesse wonders what a 20-year-old Leslie would look like, and a pang shoots through his chest the next moment as he remembers where she is. At that moment, in what should be the happiest time of his existence, Jesse feels a sense of guilt and despair, more crushing than he has ever felt before, as a mortal or otherwise. He remembers the angelically kind and sweet girl who befriended him, loved him, despite his hostility, and finds it incredibly unjust that he is here in paradise while she suffers alongside the vilest monsters of humanity.

Jesse now truly feels what preachers back on Earth could describe but never really impart to their parishioners – the sensation of being singularly and abjectly undeserving of God's saving grace. If even Leslie is unworthy of God's kingdom, how can any Earthling (especially poor little Jesse Aarons) belong in it?

What was the point of being "saved" and admitted to Heaven if he is to be forever separated from his one true love?

Jesse is in Heaven, liberated from all physical needs, but emotionally, he feels as if he is in Hell.

Because Heaven isn't Heaven without Leslie.

* * *

_Author's note:  
__I apologize for any inaccurate application of Christianity's "sola fide" doctrine, and/or for any offense caused by this chapter. It is, however, implied in both the book and the movie that Lark Creek's church is one of the "less forgiving" Christian denominations, which would indeed say that Leslie is going to hell for being an unbeliever. That's why Jesse and May Belle are worried on the truck ride back!_

_If I've made any doctrinal errors, please correct me. Also, this is not necessarily the end of this story – Jesse is quite stubborn, and not the kind to just give up..._

_As always, reviews or feedback are greatly appreciated! :)_


	4. Jack Aarons Was Right (2) - The Garden

_Author's note: Turns out writing the unhappy ending was much harder than I thought. Jesse's struggle to save Leslie from Hell is going to be a very long chapter... So, in the meantime, here's a small humorous out-take from the Happy Ending_

* * *

**_Ending #1 "Jack Aarons Was Right"_**_  
one small scene from the continued afterlife of Jesse Aarons_

An angel in uniform knocks on the door, asking to speak to Jesse. With one glance, Leslie recognizes the angel's Islamic crescent pendant and struggles to hold in her laughter as she realizes why the angel is here. Jesse gives her a questioning glance, but she sits back and motions Jesse to speak to the angel, smiling reassuringly.

"Jesse Aarons," the angel addresses Jesse, shaking his hand. "Pleased to meet you. My name is Malik, I work in Jannah – that's the Islamic section of Heaven."

"Pleasure's mine, sir, Malik. What can I do for you?"

Malik shows the hint of a smile, and Leslie suddenly bursts into giggles, her self-control exhausted. "While I'm sure you are going to refuse the offer I'm about to make to you, the divine law of Allah requires that this offer be made to all eligible souls, and you have qualified." Jesse glances over at Leslie, who has finally managed to quiet down and is smirking wickedly, but she simply mouths back "go on, you'll see" and Jesse turns back to the angel.

Malik continues, "Jesse, at the time of your death, you were a virgin. As a result, you have a special option which the vast majority of souls in Paradise do not." Sitting in the corner, Leslie snickers despite herself, keeping her hands clamped firmly over her mouth; she herself having received this same offer from one of Malik's colleagues fifty-six years ago, shortly after her own arrival in Heaven.

"You, Jesse," says Malik, "are eligible to serve as a Companion in the Islamic Martyrs' Garden."

"What's that?" asks Jesse.

"As I mentioned earlier, there are different sections of Paradise for believers of different religions. Good Muslims are sent to Jannah – the Garden – while good Christians such as yourself are sent to Heaven. In some sects of Islam, however, the expected reward of Paradise includes seventy-two attractive virgin Companions for each believer. Only those rare few, such as yourself, who were celibate during their entire time on Earth are eligible to serve as Companions. If you accept this great honor, you will help us reward a fellow deserving soul by being a part of their own personal paradise, and you will have the opportunity to experience what you never did on Earth – to be deflowered by a good Muslim who will be a perfect match for you in every possible way, romantically, spiritually, ..."

The full meaning of Malik's words finally hits Jesse, leaving him shocked into silence as he processes the fact that he's being "offered" sex, for the first time, with a total stranger, a stranger who will have dozens of other lovers in addition to Jesse himself…

Jesse turns to glance hesitantly at Leslie, only to see her shaking in silent laughter, clamping her mouth shut with her hands as she watches him. Suddenly, Jesse realizes that Leslie knew exactly what was coming the moment Malik arrived at their doorstep. _Of course! They must have made her the same offer when she got here!_ Jesse breaks out into a wide grin as he turns back to the angel with his answer.

"Malik, this is wonderful! I accept your offer. What do I do?"

"WHAT!?" Leslie's loud scream from the corner makes Jesse turn to look; her former expression of mirth has been completely replaced by shock. Jesse does his best to keep a straight face, but it takes only a twitch of his lips for Leslie to realize she's been had. "Jess Aarons! That was _not_ funny!" She jumps out of her seat yelling at him, but the twinkle in her eyes belies the crossness of her words. Within moments, they are both doubled over laughing at each other's hilarious pranks. "Oh my Lord, the look on your face - it was - "

Remembering his guest still at the door, Jesse makes an effort to collect himself and turns back to face the angel.

"Sorry, Malik," Jesse says to the amused angel, "I was kidding. I'll have to pass on your offer. It's a great deal, but there's only one person for me… well, spirit now, I guess."

Malik nods in understanding. "As we thought," he answers. "I wish you all the happiness you have waited so long to find."

With a bow, he closes the door and floats off.

* * *

_And that's one happy ending for our Jesse! Next chapter we'll return to the sad-and-lonely ending... how far will Jesse go to save his soulmate from the eternal flame?_


	5. Jack Aarons Was Wrong (2) - The Fire

_Author's Note: I couldn't find a good place to explain this in the flow of the chapter itself, but: I've taken the liberty of assuming that all people are reverted to their 17-to-24-year-old physical appearance and have any diseases and disabilities 'auto-cured' upon being sent to either Heaven or Hell, whatever their afterlife will be. Those who are younger at the time of death are aged up and the elderly are aged down (de-aged) such that the range of ages from 0 to 100+ is compressed into the much narrower range of ages 17-24 for physical appearance. Afterwards, the person's appearance will very slowly age until it stops at 24, and even souls who have been in the afterlife for thousands of years then retain their 24-year-old appearance permanently thereafter._

_To make up for the shortness of last chapter, here's a long one!_

* * *

**_Possible Ending #2: Jack Aarons Was Wrong_**

**Continued from Chapter 3...**

* * *

One month following his death, Jesse Oliver Aarons, Jr. is quite possibly the only unhappy soul in Heaven. How can anyone be unhappy in God's kingdom? Well, it's simple. Jesse is in Heaven, but the girl he loves, Leslie Burke, is not there with him. Jesse is tormented both by his longing for Leslie and by his guilt over the fact that he has escaped the fires of Hell while she did not. She was his better half, he feels, and if only one of them could be in paradise it should have been her, not him.

The angels soon notice something's wrong – someone is being miserable in their perfect paradise! But they decide to leave Jesse alone for now, hoping that the idyll of Heaven might be more effective than the grind of Earth in helping Jesse get over his tragic loss.

But the years pass by with no improvement. Gradually, one by one, Jesse is reunited with his family and friends, as all those whom he left behind on Earth rejoin him in Heaven. May Belle arrives fifteen years after him, then Joyce Ann two years after that. Their children – no longer bearing the Aarons name – begin to filter in as the decades pass by. Gary Fulcher, whom Jesse never saw again after high school, pays Jesse a visit to apologize for his childhood cruelty – something he had planned to do for a long time but never got around to before Jesse died. Even Janice Avery turns up with a surprise – introducing Jesse to her husband from Earth… Willard Hughes. Janice, like May Belle, is shocked and disappointed to learn that Leslie is not in Heaven after all.

One fine morning, God's angels send one of their number to visit Jesse as he sits alone moping in a forested area of Heaven. Embraced in the angel's warm wings, Jesse sobs out his story. The angel himself cannot do much for Jesse, but he offers to take Jesse to the only one who can – the Lord Himself.

Jesse visits the Throne of God to make an appeal on behalf of Leslie, but the Lord God sticks to His Word as it was given to all people: only those who knew Christ as their savior can be admitted to His kingdom. Devastated, Jesse falls to the cloud floor at his Lord's feet, sobbing in utter desolation. Jesse had only been able to endure Leslie's loss the first time on Earth with his belief that they would be reunited in Heaven; now his final hope has been dashed, and their separation is to be permanent. After letting Jesse cry himself to sleep, God gently sends him away in an angel's arms, knowing with His omnipotence that this subject will return.

Two months later, Jesse returns to the Throne of God, jaw set in grim determination and accompanied by May Belle weeping on his shoulder. Since he cannot see Leslie again, he intends to trade places with her, as Jesus did for all Christians; she deserves a happy ending far more than he does, and he owes her at least that much. Jesse has spent the past two months saying goodbye to his Heaven-bound family and friends. May Belle alone knew him well enough not to try to change his mind; she is here to see him off.

But God is beyond the comprehension of any mere mortal, and poor Jesse is no exception. "You DARE compare yourself to MY sinless Son!? You shall BURN for your blasphemy! GOOD BYE. Jesse Oliver Aarons." Without warning, the support vanishes from under Jesse's feet and he plunges vertically down through the hole that has just opened up in the cloud-white floor. He is enveloped in darkness and begins to tumble as he flails around, falling through the blackness, the feeling of air rushing by letting him know that he is still falling.

Then, suddenly, his back and head slam into a large hard surface behind him, breaking his fall – his limbs follow and he feels his body being crushed front-to-back by the massive force of the sudden stop. A split second later he sees hot lava splashing up all around him and realizes he is sinking into the lava – this is what he has fallen into. Then, half a second later the shock of the impact wears off and an excruciating pain fills up his senses. He is hurting everywhere, his bones shattered in the impact and now the molten rock is burning through his clothes and skin – burning all over his body. His clothing burns away within seconds and he is in Hell as everyone always imagined it – immersed in flaming lava up to his chin.

"AHHH!" Jesse screams and flails about, instinctively trying to lift himself out of the lava and stop the pain – to no avail. There is nothing for him to hold onto. The pain is worse than he has ever experienced and for several minutes he is unable to think any coherent thought. Then his hand catches hold of a nearby rock – he has found the edge of the pool of lava.

The lava is scalding Jesse all over his body, but he has now realized that he is in no danger – he will not drown, or choke, or burn to death, for he is already dead. This is to be his eternal punishment – feeling the pain of being burned all over his body constantly and forever, just as the Bible said.

Experimentally, Jesse reaches for the edge of the lava pool, grabbing on with both hands, and tries to haul himself up onto the dry land. An invisible force holds his body back, preventing him from bringing his shoulders above the surface of the lava. Looking beyond the ledge, Jesse notices for the first time the landscape of Hell before him: the floor is entirely black rock, pockmarked with pools of lava in which people are burning, only their heads above the surface. This is no ordinary molten rock like the lava Jesse has seen in his mortal life on Earth; the surface of each pool seems to be flammable, as if covered by a thin uniform layer of burning oil. Horned devils carrying tridents walk among the paths in between lava pools, stopping here and there to provide additional torture to their victims.

One of them stops in front of Jesse, and he looks up. The devil's beaded red eyes stare back at him. Then, suddenly, in one swift motion the devil lifts up his iron-booted foot and stomps down on Jesse's fingers. OW! Jesse's finger bones are shattered in a sickening crunch. The devil swiftly turns on his heel and walks away. Jesse looks down at the remains of his fingers which were once hanging onto the edge of the rock; in their place there is now a flat bloody pancake of bone, muscle, and blood, which is now dripping over the edge of the rock into the burning lava. Yet within seconds, even as Jesse is staring at his crushed hand in horror, his flesh seems to magically knit back together – the mass of broken tissue separates out and Jesse sees his fingers miraculously restored before his eyes.

When Jesse looks up again the devil is gone. Looking around, Jesse spots the devil several feet to the left down the line, stopped in front of his next victim at another lava pool. Jesse watches as the devil kneels down and grabs an old man's hand out of the lava pool, quickly stabs his wrist with his trident and then stands up and turns away, moving on to the next person. Further in the distance, the devil stops again, delivers a vicious kick to someone (most likely to their exposed head, Jesse assumes) and then continues on.

With the immediate danger gone, Jesse continues turning around to scan his surroundings in a full circle. Suddenly he senses the presence of another person – formerly to his right when he was facing the edge, but now to his left since he has turned around – and upon facing the person fully, he freezes. _No, it can't be._

Leslie Burke's sparkling blue eyes bore into his own, as the uncertain expression on her face vanishes into a look of instant recognition and then a hundred different emotions flash through her expression – even though she recognizes him, she does not know what to say.

Jesse does, however. The joy of seeing her again momentarily pushes everything else to the back of his mind, even the painful burning sensation that covers his entire body – for one shining moment, Jesse forgets he is in Hell. "Leslie! I've missed you so much!"

He rushes towards her, wading through the lava. She meets him halfway, tears in her eyes. "Oh, Jess, I missed you too!" Leslie is crying on his shoulder as they embrace. "But...how did you…"

Jesse experiences a strange sensation as they hold each other tightly: in the midst of the hot lava, Leslie's entire body feels cool to the touch, rather than warm. The sensation is comforting, a balm to his painfully burned skin, yet so strange that he only dimly registers the fact that she has curves that weren't there the last time he hugged her back on Earth…

Meanwhile, as soon as Leslie gets over her own ecstatic shock at seeing Jesse again, she pulls back and looks at him with an expression of horror. "Jess, what did you do!? You were supposed to go to heaven! Why are you…" Then, a flash of realization crosses her face and she appears even more horrified – and guilty. "Oh my God, you're here because of me, aren't you."

Leslie's reaction is almost exactly as Jesse expects – he still remembers her well. Jesse can only manage a sheepish grin – she is correct, though not in the way she thinks.

"Tell me, Jess," pleads Leslie, "What happened?"

"Well, um… it's not what you think, Leslie. I didn't stop believing in God because of you, if that's what you're afraid of."

The guilt fades from Leslie's expression and she looks slightly relieved – clearly, that was indeed exactly what she was afraid of. Nevertheless, she remains concerned. The Jess she remembers was a good character; could he really have done something terrible?

"Then what was it, Jess?"

"It was just… well, let's just say… it just wasn't a heaven without you, Leslie…"

Leslie blinks once as she tries to make sense of Jesse's answer. Then the horror creeps back into her expression as she realizes the implication of his words – that he has already been to Heaven, and that he might even have…

"Jess," he flinches at her slow, deadly serious tone, but she grabs him by the shoulder, forcing him to face her intense stare. "Please don't tell me you actually _got into Paradise_ and then threw it all away just to be with _me_!"

Already expecting (and dreading) an affirmative answer from her stubborn King Jess, Leslie is caught completely by surprise when he answers, confidently, "No, that's not it." Jesse smiles amusedly at Leslie's surprise and relief, even though he knows it will be short-lived once she learns the full truth.

Though he hopes against hope that she won't ask any further, he knows in his heart that she will, so he is not surprised by her question. "Alright then, so what _did_ you do? Step on a duck?" She is in a decidedly lighter mood after his previous reassurance, and he regrets the inevitable explosion that his answer is sure to provoke from her. Squaring his shoulders, he decides to get it over with.

"I begged God to let you into heaven, but He said no. I asked if we could at least visit each other, but He said if I came down here it would be forever. So I asked Him… well, Jesus took the punishment for the sins of all mankind. I thought maybe I could do it for you. Maybe I could save you as you once saved me…"

_Slap!_

"Jess _Aarons!_" She yells in his face so loudly that he stumbles backwards, startled. "That's the _last_ thing I would _ever_ want you to do for me and you _know_ _it_!" He instinctively backpedals away from her blazing fury, but she chases after him, her face looming inches away from his. "How do you think I would have felt, if I'd woken up in Heaven one day and found out, not only that you're not there, but also that you _took my place in Hell_ just to let me go to Heaven! Did you think I wouldn't trade you right back, you dolt!"

Jesse suddenly feels the hard wall of the lava pool against his back and realizes, with a jolt, his situation: trapped between a solid stone wall and an outraged girl… a very angry, _very beautiful_ girl. His next actions are almost automatic. He wraps his arms around her and gives her the kiss he never got to give her back on Earth. She melts into his embrace before their lips even touch and passionately kisses him back; clearly they both felt the same impulse at the same time. No words need to be said; when they last saw each other they were only children of eleven years, too young to understand these feelings, but now they are older in both mind and appearance.

They are so wrapped up in each other that they don't notice the next patrolling devil who has silently arrived on the stone floor right behind Jesse's head. Their reunion is rudely interrupted by the loud _crack_ of a metal trident slamming down on both of their heads from above, knocking them both down into the lava which splashes up around their chins. They pop their heads back up above the surface separately, their faces and ears now also painfully burned pink by the lava. Leslie is used to these frequent hits (having already been in Hell for many years), and her concern immediately goes to Jesse, who has just recently arrived in this place. "Jess, are you okay!? I'm so sorry, I should've seen him coming…"

Jesse groans in pain, clutching his head for several moments, but finally recovers enough to say, jokingly, "I'll live." He smiles slightly at his own joke, since technically he is no longer "living" at all – only experiencing the sensations. "It was my fault anyways… and besides, if we're in no real danger, maybe I'd rather have you distracted like that, huh?"

Leslie shakes her head in amusement; suddenly the thought of spending her eternity in this lava pit no longer seems as horrible as it was intended to be. Yet, she feels conflicted over her feelings. She is exasperated at her one and only king for sacrificing the paradise she would have wanted for him, but in her heart she knows that she would have done the same for him. She is elated that he cared about her enough to even try to take her punishment in her place, and yet she feels horribly guilty in the knowledge that she really did ruin his eternal reward, and she is angry at herself for being even slightly happy that he is here in Hell with her. She feels like a terrible, selfish person. Maybe she really does deserve her eternal punishment.

But the logical side of her argues that there was nothing she could have done to prevent this. How could she have foreseen, only knowing what a ten-year-old girl knew, that befriending her new neighbors and trying to be a good friend would condemn them all? _What else was she supposed to do?_

"Leslie?" Jesse's voice snaps her out of her thoughts. "What's the matter?"

He puts a comforting arm around her shoulder, the coolness of their skin touching a welcome relief (at least partially) from the pain that touches every inch of them. She wraps herself around him tightly, extending the coolness over as large an area as she can manage, and they find in each other's arms a surprising moment of peace and tranquility… in the last place one would ever have thought to look for it.

Behind them the next devil on the torture patrol raises his trident… and hesitates, sensing something amiss. There is a strange feeling in his chest; a warm fuzzy feeling, almost like… some kind of positive emotion? That's not right, devils aren't supposed to feel things like that… he certainly never has. He lowers his trident, takes a few steps back, and whistles for backup. A higher-ranking devil comes, examines the situation, sniffs the air, calls for yet another superior. Up the chain of command goes the report, and before long the highest Devil of all arrives to see the situation for himself. Satan pauses for a moment, before snapping back to himself and staring at his subordinates angrily. "What's the problem? Kick them both and get on with it! Back to work, the lot of you!" The devils scatter, except for the one returning to his patrol route. Strange and unfamiliar feelings aside, he has direct orders and he will carry them out. He raises his trident and takes aim…

In the fires of Hell, two stubborn souls find a love that transcends death… '_til devils do them part._

* * *

_Author's note:  
Unless anyone has more ideas, this is the end of the main story arc - we now have a basic idea of the eternal fates of both main characters. If anyone wants to expand on the universe I've sketched in these past few chapters, or use my ideas in your own fics, please let me know - I'd welcome more stories that I don't have the skill to write myself! I'd like to think I have opened up a new world of possibilities that the FF-net Terabithia archive has not previously explored. Now go explore it!_

_Obviously, I've had to rely mostly on the popular conception of Hell ("hellfire-and-brimstone") rather than the Bible, which does not provide complete and consistent details of what the underworld looks like to the extent needed for a story. Christian denominations disagree over the exact nature of Hell and its punishments, but I've attempted to approximate the conception of Hell that would most likely be common in a "Bible-Thumping" culturally conservative town such as Lark Creek, Virginia. If your idea of Hell doesn't quite match what's shown here, don't worry, I'm sure your version exists somewhere out there, too._

_As always, reviews and feedback are much appreciated. Thanks for reading, hope you've been inspired by all the different possible endings for our king and queen of Terabithia!_


End file.
